The present invention relates to the manufacture of objects. More particularly, the present invention provides a technique for selectively automating controlling a plasma immersion ion implantation system or plasma source ion implantation system for the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits, for example. But it will be recognized that the invention has a wider range of applicability; it can also be applied to other substrates for multi-layered integrated circuit devices, three-dimensional packaging of integrated semiconductor devices, photonic devices, piezoelectronic devices, microelectromechanical systems ("MEMS"), sensors, actuators, solar cells, flat panel displays (e.g., LCD, AMLCD), biological and biomedical devices, and the like. Other types of high voltage systems can also be used with the present invention.
Integrated circuits are fabricated on chips of semiconductor material. These integrated circuits often contain thousands, or even millions, of transistors and other devices. In particular, it is desirable to put as many transistors as possible within a given area of semiconductor because more transistors typically provide greater functionality, and a smaller chip means more chips per wafer and lower costs. Some integrated circuits are fabricated on a slice or wafer, of single-crystal (monocrystalline) silicon, commonly termed a "bulk" silicon wafer. Devices on such "bulk" silicon wafer typically use processing techniques such as ion implantation or the like to introduce impurities or ions into the substrate. These impurities or ions are introduced into the substrate to selectively change the electrical characteristics of the substrate, and therefore devices being formed on the substrate. Ion implantation provides accurate placement of impurities or ions into the substrate. Ion implantation, however, is expensive and generally cannot be used effectively for introducing impurities into a larger substrate such as glass or a semiconductor substrate, which is used for the manufacture of flat panel displays or the like.
Accordingly, plasma treatment of large area substrates such as glass or semiconductor substrates has been proposed or used in the fabrication of flat panel displays or 300 mm silicon wafers. Plasma treatment is commonly called plasma immersion ion implantation ("PIII") or plasma source ion implantation ("PSI"). Plasma treatment generally uses a chamber, which has an inductively coupled plasma source, for generating and maintaining a plasma therein. A large voltage differential between the plasma and the substrate to be implanted accelerates impurities or ions from the plasma into the surface or depth of the substrate. A variety of limitations exist with the convention plasma processing techniques.
A major limitation with conventional plasma processing techniques is the maintenance of the uniformity of the plasma density and chemistry over such a large area is often difficult. As merely an example, inductively or transformer coupled plasma sources ("ICP" and "TCP," respectively) are affected both by difficulties of maintaining plasma uniformity using inductive coil antenna designs. Additionally, these sources are often costly and generally difficult to maintain, in part, because such sources which require large and thick quartz windows for coupling the antenna radiation into the processing chamber. The thick quartz windows often cause an increase in rf power (or reduction in efficiency) due to heat dissipation within the window.
Other techniques such as Electron Cyclotron Resonance ("ECR") and Helicon type sources are limited by the difficulty in scaling the resonant magnetic field to large areas when a single antenna or waveguide is used. Furthermore, most ECR sources utilize microwave power which is more expensive and difficult to tune electrically. Hot cathode plasma sources have been used or proposed. The hot cathode plasma sources often produce contamination of the plasma environment due to the evaporation of cathode material. Alternatively, cold cathode sources have also be used or proposed. These cold cathode sources often produce contamination due to exposure of the cold cathode to the plasma generated.
A pioneering technique has been developed to improve or, perhaps, even replace these conventional sources for implantation of impurities. This technique has been developed by Chung Chan of Waban Technology in Massachusetts, now Silicon Genesis Corporation, and has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,811 ("Chan"), which is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. In one embodiment, Chan generally describes techniques for treating a substrate with a plasma with an improved plasma processing system. The improved plasma processing system, includes, among other elements, at least two rf sources, which are operative to generate a plasma in a vacuum chamber. It is still desirable, however, to provide even a more uniform plasma and control of the implant for the manufacture of substrates.
Other drawbacks also exist with these conventional techniques. For example, some of these techniques rely upon high voltage sources and/or modulators. These high voltage sources can create unwanted multi-path effects, which undesirably cause "noise" in some of the control circuitry. The unwanted noise can influence one or more of the controllers, which are often analog in form, to are used to control one or more processing parameters. Since noise can influence the control, desirable control may not be achieved by way of conventional analog control systems. Additionally, any lack of control can also be undesirable to health, safety, and the environment.
From the above, it is seen that an improved technique for controlling plasma immersion implantation systems is highly desired.